A few months ago, we reported an incident between a Taxify driver and a passenger. In all of the chaos, it was established that both parties felt their lives were in danger. But even before this incident surfaced, many drivers and passengers have spoken about feeling endangered by the other party in an Uber or Taxify affair.

Well, it seems the constant complaints from the drivers who have partnered with Taxify, Africa’s fastest growing ride-hailing platform, have been heard by the companies authorities. The company announced today that they have added a panic button to its ride-hailing app in Nigeria. Uche Okafor, the City Manager, indicated that the safety is their top priority and they have been working and developing ways to ensure utmost protection for both parties.

“With hundreds of thousands of trips across the country booked through our app each week, the safety of driver-partners and riders is a top priority for the company. Over the last few years we’ve led the way with technology based safety features such a GPS tracking of every trip and our two-way rating system”. He indicated that the goal is to safeguard driver-partners against violent attacks and hijacks in an attempt to utilize technology to ensure safety on trips are safer for users. The panic button will is embedded in the app and signals Lagos State Emergency Response Agency when it is activated.

Hopefully, similar features will be rolled out for riders as well. Let’s level the safety ground for all parties.

Featured Image Credit: Web/TechArena

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